Sun 4/28 - AM/PM - 80 minutes incl. 5k, 10k road races

Groton road races. Legs felt flat and weak warming up for the 5k, with the ongoing inability to get a good night's rest I wasn't feeling that optimistic. Realized before the gun went off that I would be running for second, adjusted tactics accordingly. Things were relatively relaxed the first few minutes, then picked up as I followed the eventual winner to get separation from the rest of the field. To my surprise, I was passed heading up the gradual hill after the 2 mile mark by someone who shouldn't have been making such a move at that stage. Figured I was beaten into third until he stalled about 100m later. Followed until the hill leveled off, made enough of a move to get clear and back into second and played keep away the final 600m. Splits of 5:05, 5:16, something around 5:30. Overall a controlled effort and somewhat tactical even, certainly could have run a bit faster if absolutely necessary. However, right calf was starting to stiffen up after the race and this combined with the underlying exhaustion came back to bite me in the ass in the 10k. Did some direct pressure 15 minutes before the start, not nearly enough though. Started with the plan of trying to keep the masters' leader in sight, as it turns out I was focused on the wrong guy. Regardless it became clear by the 2 mile mark that instead of getting closer to the person I was chasing I was falling back. With the right leg incl. hammie feeling sore it was quite easy to throw in the towel. Transition from tempo-ish pace to 6:20 pace was seamless. I wish I could say it felt easier than it did though, still working far too hard despite the slow speed. Calf was a mess after all said and done, as tight and stiff as it's been in a long while. The numbers are worth a chuckle if nothing else:
5:41, 5:48, 6:08, 6:24, 6:21, 6:34. Lots of foam rolling afterward, hopefully along with more conscientious stretching it'll make a dent in the leg's tightness. Warm and breezy day, but I don't remember any wind at all during the 10k.